Address:
2700 South California
Chicago, IL 60608
Phone:
773-869-7100
There are several methods for depositing money on an inmate's account. You can find out how to do this by calling the Cook County Department of Corrections at 773-869-7100 and asking, or you can scroll down and review the different methods.
1. Mail an inmate a money order or cashier’s check from a trusted source such as the Post Office, a local bank, or Western Union. The money order should be be made out to either the inmate or the Cook County Sheriff's Office, with the inmate’s name and ID# on the memo line of the check.
When mailing a money order or cashier’s check, send it an envelope by itself. Never send it with a letter or photos for your inmate, unless the facility allows it. Never send personal checks or cash.
2. Deposit cash or use a debit or credit card using a dedicated kiosk for this purpose. The machine is located in the lobby or visitation area of the Cook County Department of Corrections.
3. The Cook County Department of Corrections has a reception desk that may accept cash, money orders or cashier checks. Call 773-869-7100 to find out the specific hours for drop off times.
4. The Cook County Department of Corrections may contract with a third party service which accept inmate deposits online, by mail or over the phone, or even in ATM machines you can find in check cashing stores and retail outlets across the country. Call 773-869-7100 for the company information, along with a list of these companies, or find it by scolling down below.
There are five ways to deposit money in an inmate's account in the Cook County Jail Corrections System:
In order to do any of these you need to know the exact name the inmate was booked under, and the booking number.
If you can't find the inmate and booking number online, call the Records Office at 773-674-2390.
Each week, an individual in custody can purchase up to $100 worth of clothing & supplies, and also $100 worth of food items.
1. Online or Telephone Deposits - Note that it my take up to two business days for the funds to show up in the inmate's account.
JailATM - You need to first register with JailATM in order to look up your inmate's name and booking number and deposit money into their trust fund account. They charge a small fee every time you make a deposit. If you have questions or prefer to use their phone service in order to deposit money, call them at 870-627-5476.
Western Union - First, you need to know the exact spelling of the inmate's name and booking number.
You also need to know these codes: The City Code is: CCDOC or COOK COUNTY DEPT CORRECTION
State Code is: ILLINOIS
Money Gram - First, you need to know the exact spelling of the inmate's name, AND their booking number.
You will also have to know the Receive Code, which is 1750.
For questions, concerns or to add funds via Money Gram over the phone, call 800-225-5227
2. Currency Exchange Facilities -
Deposit funds in-person at Currency Exchanges that offer Western Union or Money Gram services.
Codes:
Western Union
City Code: CCDOC or COOK COUNTY DEPT CORRECTION
State: ILLINOIS
Money Gram
Receive Code: 1750
JailATM
Visit JailATM to register or call 870-627-5476
3. Mailing a Payment -
* Money orders - $100 maximum
* Cashiers Checks - $1,000 maximum
When sending an inmate money by mail, the Cook County Department of Corrections will only accept:
If you want to send more you can, but you need to send multiple checks that do not exceed the maximum amounts listed above.
**Important Notes**
Mailing Address:
Inmate's Full Name & Booking #
Cook County Jail
2700 S. California Ave.
Chicago, IL 60608
4. Dropping off a payment at a Kiosk - $300 maximum
When dropping off an inmate's money in person, the Cook County Department of Corrections will only accept.
These Kiosks are ATM machines that are managed by JailATM.
JailATM Locations at the Cook County Jail to drop off inmate money:
The following is the procedure to pick-up money from an incarcerated male or female inmate’s money account, regardless of which Cook County Jail they were in:
Once an inmate is released, they can go to the following address, and as long as they can present a government issued picture ID, they can get the balance of their Trust Fund Account issued to them.
Division 5
2700 S. California Ave.
Chicago, IL 60608
Hours: 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
If they don't have an ID, the balance will be mailed to the address that Cook County Corrections has on file.
If they are being released to another facility, upon request, the balance will be sent there.
Letters can be mailed to:
Cook County Department of Corrections
Trust/Finance Office – Individual in Custody Trust Fund
Division 5 Second Floor
2700 S California Avenue
Chicago, IL 60608
If you have any questions, call the Trust/Finance Office at 773-674-6864.
How do I send money to an inmate in the Cook County Department of Corrections?
Who are the companies that jails use to send money to inmates?
How do I send money by mail to an inmate in the Cook County Department of Corrections?
Can I send an inmate money using the internet?
What are considered ‘inmate funds’?
How much money can I send an inmate at one time?
Is it illegal for an inmate in the Cook County Department of Corrections to have cash?
If an inmate can’t have cash in jail, how do they purchase contraband or gamble?
What are things inmates use or trade in lieu of cash?
What kind of food can an inmate purchase on Commissary in the Cook County Department of Corrections?
What items can inmates purchase in the Cook County Department of Corrections?
Important tips about sending money to an inmate in the Cook County Department of Corrections
Cook County Department of Corrections has its own methods for receiving money for inmates, and that information can be found above or by calling 773-869-7100 and asking, however all jails and prisons all receive money for an inmate’s trust and commissary account, as well as an account used for communications, pretty much the same way.
1. Mailing an inmate a money order or cashier’s check from a trusted source such as the Post Office, a local bank, or Western Union. The Money order should be be made out to either the inmate or the facility, with the inmate’s name and ID# on the memo line of the check.
When mailing a money order or cashier’s check, send it an envelope by itself. Never send it with a letter or photos for your inmate.
Never send personal checks or cash either.
2. Deposit cash or use a debit or credit card to send an inmate money using an ATM machine that is located in the lobby or visitation area of the Cook County Department of Corrections.
3. Some jails have a reception desk or booth that is open during certain hours that they will list on their website. They will accept cash, money orders or cashier checks. Other facilities that don’t have a human manning the desk will have mail drop where you can leave a money order or check. No cash can be left in these boxes.
4. There are multiple companies that jails and prisons contract with which accept inmate deposits online, by mail or over the phone, or even in ATM machines you can find in check cashing stores and retail outlets across the country.
If one of these companies (listed in the next question) works with Cook County Department of Corrections, this information will be outlined at the top of this page.
There are many companies competing for the accounts of jail and prison inmates. Their intention is to alleviate the staffing and financial responsibility of the jail handling inmate’s accounts. They usually charge a fee equal to 3-5% of the total deposit.
The companies, in alphabetical order, are:
Access Corrections
AllPaid (aka GovPayNet)
Care A Cell
Cash Bond Online
CIDNET
City Tele Coin
CommissaryDeposit.com
Correct Solutions Group
Correctpay
Ctel
Edevo
Express Account
gettingout
GTL
Inmate Canteen
InmateSales
JailATM
Jail Pack Store (McDaniel Supply)
Jailpayments.com
Jpay
NCIC
JailCanteen (Oasis)
Paytel
Pigeonly
Prodigy Sales
Reliance
Securus
Smart Communications
Tennessee Business Enterprise
Tiger
Touchpay
To send an inmate money by mail you first have to have the money converted to a money order, preferably from the US Post Office, or a Cashier’s Check. Never send cash, and never send a personal check.
To find the address for sending money to an inmate, call the jail at 773-869-7100 or check out the money deposit instructions above.
Almost every facility contracts with a company that helps friends and families of inmates send them money. The list can be found above.
To find out who Cook County Department of Corrections contracts with for inmate deposits, call them at 773-869-7100 or go to the top of this page for deposit instructions.
Inmate funds are the cash that an inmate has on themselves when they are booked into jail, plus the money that friends and family add while they are incarcerated. Inmate funds are also known as ‘inmate trust account’, ‘inmate commissary account’, and ‘inmate money account’.
Typically, most jails allow an innate spend no more than $300-400 per month on snacks and hygiene products, with another $300 spent on phone calls and other communication services. Some jails limit the amount an inmate can spend on snacks to as low as $100 per month, but that is rare.
To find out how much the Cook County Department of Corrections allows, call the jail at 773-869-7100.
Most jails limit the amount that you can send an inmate to $200 at one time. If a money order exceeds $50.00 some jails will hold the money for up to 30 days before releasing it. The quickest way to get money on an inmate’s account is to deposit it either online or over the phone with the outside vendor that the Cook County Department of Corrections works with.
It is not illegal for an inmate to have cash, but it is considered contraband and will be confiscated by the Cook County Department of Corrections if it is discovered. There could be additional punishment such as the inmate having their phone use or visitation limited. It is unlikely that criminal charges will be levied though.
Inmates are very creative in coming up with alternatives to cash for buying goods and services and taking part in gambling and other recreational activities.
• Some jails use stamps as a form of currency.
• Some use a “unit”, which is basically a candy bar, bag of chips or foil package of tuna.
• Some buy goods and services for a “tray”, which is basically a meal, especially one that contains food that may be in demand, such as “chicken on the bone”.
• Some will trade a service such as legal research, haircutting, jail artwork to send to a loved one.
• Some will agree to clean another’s cell in exchange for a candy bar or some coffee.
Basically, everything and anything can be used for trade instead of cash, but one thing is for certain, in jail, you must pay your debt. If you agree to do something when it comes to owing “money”, and you don’t pay, you may end up with a broken jaw when you least expect it.
Inmates in jail and prisoners in prisons, in lieu of cash, trade food, meals, haircuts, cell cleaning, legal research, artwork and communication credits (phone, email, etc.).
Commissaries carry every type of food imaginable:
• Cookies
• Pastries
• Candy
• Tuna and mackerel
• Coffee
• Tea
• Soft drinks
• Energy drinks
• Pizza
• Hamburgers
• Chicken fingers
• Spices
Some jails have larger selections than others, and some contract with companies that ship in gift packages of food, and even fast food that can be reheated.
Prisons in Canada even have small fast-food outlets that operate within the jail.
Besides the food products mentioned above, inmates can purchase on commissary:
• hygiene products like soaps, shampoos and lotions,
• clothing like sweats, t-shirts, hoodies and sneakers,
• stationary supplies
• religious garments
• books
• televisions, radios and headphones
• movie and television programming
• educational courses
Sometimes an inmate's commissary money is used to purchase items to pay gambling debts or purchase prescription medicine from another inmate. If your inmate is spending more than $10.00 a day on commissary items, you are most likely paying for him or her to gamble or buy drugs.
Some inmates, specifically those who are targeted for being weak or are in jail for rape or child molestation, are forced to relinquish their commissary to avoid regular beatings from other inmates.
If you think your inmate is being targeted for violence or having their commissary taken to avoid beatings, contact the Cook County Department of Corrections and ask to investigate. If an inmate is being targeted, most jails will intervene and have the victim placed in protective custody, away from the general population.
Put your financial needs first and the inmate's second. Don't forget, the inmate is getting three free 2,000 calorie meals a day. The food may not be of the highest quality, but the commissary food is generally much less nutritious.
These can be ordered from JailATM online.
There is, however, a maximum amount of the money orders and cashier's checks that can be mailed in.
These maximums are:
* Money orders - $100 maximum
* Cashiers Checks - $1,000 maximum
When sending an inmate money by mail, the Cook County Department of Corrections will only accept:
US Postal Money Orders, or
Certified Bank Cashier Checks
If you want to send more money you can, but you need to send multiple checks that do not exceed the maximum amounts listed above.
People who have never been to jail would be surprised by the large amount of candy, snacks, art supplies, playing cards, hygiene products and clothing that can be purchased through a jail's commissary. Some jails have several hundred different items.
The Cook County Department of Corrections Commissary Instructions and Information can be found here. If you need more information contact the jail by calling 773-869-7100.
Anyone who has access to the U.S. postal service, Internet, a phone or a Western Union/Money Gram agent can deposit money to an inmate’s account as long as there isn’t a no-contact order in place.
Because of the ability for family members and friends to deposit money online using a credit or debit card, jail inmates can now receive funds from anywhere in the world.
Since inmates are not allowed to possess cash money while in custody in the Cook County Department of Corrections, the jail maintains a 'bank account' for the inmate to purchase products and services from their commissary (canteen) store.
Inmates at Cook County jail use commissary funds to purchase snacks, personal hygiene items and stationery supplies to supplement what is provided by the Department of Corrections.
Examples of items that can be purchased include:
Stamped envelopes
Paper
Greeting cards
Candy bars
Chips
Ramen-styled noodles
Shampoo
Denture adhesive
Toothpaste
Shower shoes
Socks
Long johns
Jackets
Many jails debit (charge) an inmate's commissary accounts for medical visits, any medications including over-the-counter pain reliever, jail stay fees, restitution, etc.
Taking this into consideration when deciding how much to deposit will ensure the inmate gets the amount you wanted him to have after things are deducted.
A quick call to the Cook County Department of Corrections at 773-869-7100 will let you know how much - if any - is deducted from the books for each fee related to medical issues or other jail expenses.
Online you can find the medical fee information by going here, Other Cook County Department of Corrections fees can be determined by going here or calling 773-869-7100.
Call the Cook County Department of Corrections at 773-869-7100 and ask how you can view a commissary list. This gives you an idea of what things cost the inmate and you can make an informed decision regarding how much to deposit.
Not surprisingly much of an inmate's commissary money is used to purchase item's to pay gambling debts or purchase prescription medicine from another inmate. If your inmate is spending more than $3-4.00 a day on commissary items, you are paying for him or her to gamble or buy drugs.
Put your financial needs first and the inmate's second. Don't forget, the inmate is getting three free 2,000 calorie meals a day. The food may not be of the highest quality, but the commissary food is generally much less nutritious.
Click here to view the jail website for additional information.
